Allentown Approves $3.7-million Cdbg Budget

Allentown's proposed $3,720,919 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) budget for 1985-86 completed its long round of public hearings and City Council review last night.

Its unanimous approval sailed through without discussion last night.

Council President Watson W. Skinner remarked: "It's really the mayor's bailiwick, his budget."

The CDBG spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1 will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for funding.

Actually, HUD will be asked to provide $2,763,000 in new money with the remaining amount being carried over from the current fiscal year's budget.

The rollover includes $297,416 of unexpended funds from prior years, $562,358 of program income, and the restoration of $98,145 to the city's letter of credit with HUD for a prepayment of a loan toward the construction of the Corporate Plaza office building and parking garage on N. 7th Street.

Eight target areas of the city with physical, social and economic problems have been identified for rehabilitation with the use of CDBG funds. Unlike past years when the bulk of the money went to the 1st and 6th wards, a greater effort will be placed in rehabilitation in sections of the downtown, although some projects are listed in the two wards.

In other matters, two residents attended the council meeting to ask the city to accept and maintain Walnut Lane, a street within the Hamilton Square apartment and townhouse development along S. 4th Street.

Their request, supported by a petition from 16 residents, was referred to a future meeting of council's community development committee.

Marguerite Harring of 383 and Charles Sells of 381 Walnut Lane said their street is full of potholes and is a danger to vehicles. They urged the city take over its ownership.

Public Works Director Harry Bisco said Walnut Lane is a private thoroughfare with deed restrictions for private parking. He noted that owners of other private developments are responsible for maintaining their streets and it would be unfair to them if the city were to maintain Walnut Lane. He estimated it would cost $15,000-$20,000 to reconstruct the street.

Councilwoman Karen Ritter said that residents, not the city, should have determined that Walnut Lane was not a public thoroughfare before they moved there.

An ordinance was adopted doubling the fee to $300 for applying for street vacations. City officials said the $150 fee does not cover the cost of newspaper advertising and other administrative costs involved in processing the applications. Ms. Ritter said the city's cost is about $600-$700 per request.

After council had voted, Karl Kercher, executive assistant to Mayor Joseph S. Daddona, said the mayor wanted to have the bill amended to except administration-sponsored requests for street vacations from the fee. He was advised the proposed amendment was offered too late and that a separate bill will have to be introduced.

Two street vacation requests were approved, but a third was returned to committee because of a condition set down by the petitioner. The one held for further study calls for vacating N. Filbert Street between E. Turner and E. Clair Street in the 14th Ward.

In asking the Filbert Street vacation, John Troxell said he would assume the easement as long as it did not become a public access. Councilman Frank Palencar said Troxell could prevent vehicles from entering by installing curb and sidewalk at each end.

Palencar recommended that owners of properties along vacated streets should be required to install curb and sidewalk if the sections at either end have them.

The streets approved for vacation are Chester Street between S. Eugene and W. St. John Street and E. Clark Street, from N. Fenwick to Gilmore.

Among council's other approvals were:

- Authorizing the purchase of steel fuel tanks and dispensing equipment at Queen City Municipal Airport from Texaco. The $10,000 purchase will enable Queen City Aviation, the airport's operator, to get more competitive prices for aviation fuel.

- Authorizing an increase in the unappropriated balance of the General Fund to account for a $29,000 grant from the State Health Department to the Allentown Health Bureau for its childhood injury prevention program. Skinner said the grant was an indication of state recognition of the bureau as "the health bureau of the commonwealth."

- Adopting a resolution calling for Congress to reject attempts to eliminate the tax-exempt status of state and local government bonds where more than 1 percent of the bond proceeds are used by a non-governmental entity.

- Accepting various appointments of individuals to boards and commissions, including the reappointment of Benjamin Walbert III to the Historical Architectural Review Board.

Councilwoman Emma Tropiano, who has had her differences with Walbert, made a point of noting that she was voting in favor of his reappointment.

Ritter, who has advocated a two-term limit on boards and commissions, said she was making an exception in Walbert's case because his experience is "extremely valuable to the board."